Review by Markus Hamence – Marcel Cole’s ‘Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin’ – Performance date: Sunday 01 March 2026. The Courtyard of Curiosities, Adelaide, South Australia
Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin – After selling out in Adelaide and Edinburgh in 2025, the award-winning fringe sensation about the life of Charlie Chaplin returns to the Adelaide Fringe in 2026! Winner of The LIST Edinburgh Festival Award for ‘Best Fringe Show From Adelaide’, this is a physical comedy not to be missed.
Marcel Cole spent ten years training to be a ballet dancer then realised he had more fun making people laugh than being beautiful and so now after studying theatre, mime and clown in London and Paris, he is touring the world with his award-winning shows.
Let me delve deeper though…
There is something quietly magical about watching a performer resurrect one of the most recognisable figures in entertainment history (nooooo, not Marilyn, but Charlie) not through imitation, but through pure physical storytelling. In Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Cole doesn’t simply play Chaplin… he channels the spirit of silent cinema itself.
“Marcel Cole doesn’t simply play Chaplin… he channels the spirit of silent cinema itself…”
Markus Hamence
Returning to the 2026 Adelaide Fringe after sold-out seasons and multiple international awards, this one-man theatrical triumph proves why the show continues to travel the world collecting standing ovations along the way. Created and performed by Cole, Smile is a masterclass in physical comedy, mime and heartfelt storytelling that traces Chaplin’s journey from hardship to global superstardom.
From the moment Cole steps onstage through the black drapes – bowler hat tilted just right, cane in hand – the transformation is instant. The Little Tramp lives again. But what makes this production land and smack us so beautifully is its emotional intelligence. This isn’t nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake. It’s a reminder of why Chaplin mattered deeply, and why laughter has always been survival disguised as entertainment. And, shy on 130 years later, we still refer to the great man (By 1918, he was one of the world’s best-paid and best-known figures)
Using minimal props (simplicity was always the key for Chaplin), projected silent-film style prompts and clever (very clever) audience interaction, Cole builds entire cinematic worlds in real time. One minute the audience becomes co-stars in Chaplin’s chaotic universe; the next, the room softens as moments of loneliness, ambition and resilience quietly unfold. The intimacy of the Fringe setting works perfectly, dissolving any barrier between performer and crowd and making everyone part of the story.
What stands out most is Cole’s extraordinary control of movement. Cole is an artist in every sense of the word, and a very fine one at that. Every stumble, glance (he looks at you, he really looks at you) and pause feels choreographed yet effortless – proof of an artist who has truly mastered mime and visual comedy. Dialogue becomes unnecessary; emotion does all the talking. Critics have previously praised Cole for perfecting the artform, and watching it live makes that praise feel entirely justified.
“What stands out most is Cole’s extraordinary control of movement…”
Markus Hamence
Beyond the laughs – and there are plenty, I walked out with my cheeks HURTING from laughter (alas also wiping a few tears) – Smile carries genuine warmth. It captures Chaplin not just as an icon, but as a dreamer shaped by adversity, reminding audiences how creativity can emerge from struggle. You don’t need to know Chaplin’s films to connect with the story; the humanity is universal.
In a festival packed with spectacle, Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin feels refreshingly timeless. Elegant, playful and deeply sincere, Marcel Cole delivers one of those rare Fringe experiences that appeals across generations – theatre lovers, comedy fans, families and cinephiles alike. Bravo dear contemporary artist, bravo!
You walk in curious.
You walk out, quite literally, smiling (and later googling Charlie Chaplin for MORE)
Let’s play the game ‘Never Have I Ever”… Never have I ever seen Charlie Chaplin played on the stage with such love and respect… Drink Up Tramps!
Thank you Marcel Cole for helping in keeping this classic and historic artist current, contemporary and known by new generations for years to come. Never forget those who paved the way.
Smile: The Story of Charlie Chaplin
Thursday 19 February – Sunday 08 March 2026
The Chapel at The Courtyard of Curiosities at the Migration Museum
Tickets
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